Clinical and immunological features of retinal vasculitis in systemic diseases

Vasculitis is a clinical, pathologic process characterized by inflammation and necrosis of blood vessel occuring anywhere in the body. The aim of the study was to present some clinical and immunologic features of retinal vasculitis in systemic diseases: systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, Behcet's diseases, and others.

A total of 1 254 peatients with uveitis were included in the study. The immunochemical diagnostic methods were used to determine the pathogenesis of ocular manifestations. Ocular manifestations were examined using biomicroscope, direct or indirect ophtalmoscopy.

Primary retinal vasculitis was diagnosed in 85/1254 (6.8%) of total uveitis. In more than half of the cases of vasculitis (58.8%), both arteries and veins were involved in inflammatory process. Periphlebitis was diagnosed far more commonly (36.5%) than periarteritis (4.7%). Retinal vasculitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus was characterized by microinfarctions and the consequent foci of inflammatory cells or diseases of large arteries manifesting in vasospasm and occlusions. Cotton wool spots occured in 38.3% and retinal hemorrhages in 34% of the cases. In this study periphlebitis of the retina was one of the less frequent ocular manifestations of multiple sclerosis. Comparing with the other changes of the retinal blood vessels, venous sheating occured in 25.1% and occlusion and vein thrombosis in 43.75% of the cases. Retinal vasculitis associated with chronic sarcoidosis occured in 37.5% of patients with sarcoidosis. The most frequent manifestation of ocular sarcoidosis was intermediary uveitis (43.75%). Anterior granulomatous uveitis occured in 37.5% of patients with sarcoidoses. Immune complexes occured in 13/20 (65%) of the patients. Antiretinal anti-S antibody in the serum occured in 73% of the patients with retinal detachment as a complication of primary disease and in 25% those with vasculitis.

Systemic diseases such as Behcet's syndrome, collagen vascular diseases, systemic granulomatous diseases (sarcoidosis and tuberculosis) were the main causes of retinal vasculitis. Knowledge of the symptomatology and pathogenesis of retinal vasculitis is of the major significance for the diagnosis and therapy of the disease.